The relevance of technologies in management and organizational analysis is well accepted in theory, if not by managers themselves. But the way technologies allow us to observe has not yet been explored. This is because many accounts of technologies neglect, if not the constitutive nature of technologies, then at least their observational potential. In particular, this article argues, technologies work by setting the scene of observation for the manager. In order to handle that challenge, management must be a matter of `managination`, that is, second order observation.
Keywords: management, observation, reproduction, steering, technology.

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Company performance is increasingly affected by a range of external factors embedded
in a complex network of action controlled by other companies’ in its environment. A well
managed company, it’s argued, is one that is aware of these external factors, and one who
in response seeks to implement tactics maximizing own influence and control over them.
Information gathering and model building are tactics normally used in this effort.
However, in this article we discuss a third tactic, the tactic of attraction in dyadic
relationships. Founded on the theory of social exchange and based on literature reviews
on long-term-orientation in relationships and relationship value we develop a conceptual
model highlighting the components of attraction in business to business relationships.
First we demonstrate how the force of attraction can be understood as partners expected
relationship value and how expected relationship value in turn is strengthened or
weakened by partner- comfortability and dependability. Then we show how partners
perceived attraction towards an industrial company can be managed using a combination
of structural- and behavioral adjustments.
Key words: Inter-organizational relationships; Relationship Management; Relationship-value;
Attraction.

Logically it seems that companies pursuing different business strategies would
also manage their relationships with other firms accordingly. Nevertheless, due to
the lack of research in the field of network strategies, this link still remains
inadequately examined. Based on the well-known framework of organisational
behaviour developed by Miles and Snow (1978), this paper argues that the
patterns of network behaviour practiced by firms greatly depend on the business
typology of the company. That is, a company’s business typology will to a certain
degree dictate the network identity of the company. In this paper evidence is
provided, that the relation between a company’s strategy, structure and processes
in fact have a considerable influence on its pattern of network behaviour. Three
case studies from the Danish biotech industry exemplify and illustrate how a
company’s strategy is directly correlated with how it manages its strategic
network relations, which consequently affects its network identity (Eisenhardt
1999). It is argued in this paper that the level of relational embeddedness,
incentives for establishing strategic relations and the relation between the number
of non-redundant and redundant relations are the most dominant elements
distinguishing the types of network behaviour in relation to the business typology.
The paper thus strives to argue how different business typologies develop a
network identity on the basis of their network behaviour. Due to the correlation
between a company’s strategy, structure and processes and its pattern of network
behaviour, knowing how to manage this relation becomes essential, especially
during the development of new strategies.

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A Route to a New Negotiating Order in High Performance Work Organizations?

Hull Kristensen, Peer(Frederiksberg, 2010)

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Contrary to a widely held view, rather than seeing the certification of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) as a barrier to increasing employee participation, this article views new ways of structuring participation as a necessary step towards making improvements in OHS management systems. The article first considers how work organization has changed and then in a similar way traces how bargaining has shifted from being distributive to become integrative to create a fundamental change in the negotiation regime. Finally, by analysing an OHS-certified firm in greater depth, the article shows how solutions for improvements in OHS management and notable bottom-up formulations of OHS benchmarks may help us discover how the organizational form of firms in which high-performance work organization can be developed through new participative structures.

Many companies in high technology fields engage with alliance partners to reduce risks, create synergies and learn. While the challenges of managing individual alliances are well documented, little is known on how to manage several R&D alliances simultaneously. Multiple alliance strategies can be observed in several companies engaged in the cross section of telecommunication and mobile technology where increased complexity magnifies managerial challenges. Drawing on modern portfolio theory, this paper offers a model for managing portfolios of R&D alliances. In particular, an analysis of a technology platform leader reveals how companies can reduce several types of risks associated with new technology and gain synergies by engaging in several alliances simultaneously.

Many companies in the cross section of telecommunication and mobile technology engage in R&D collaborations to manage uncertainty, create synergies and learn. While the challenges of managing individual collaborations are well documented, little is known on how to systematically manage several R&D collaborations simultaneously. We use modern portfolio theory as an analogy to show how companies active in mobile telecommunication manage risks and create synergies by simultaneously engaging in several inter-firm collaborations.
Keywords: Portfolio theory, risk, synergy, R&D collaboration, mobile commerce

Internalisation theory informs us about why and when multinational enterprises (MNEs) internalise foreign operations, but has less to say about how the internalisation should be prepared and exercised when foreign market operations initially are carried out by local, outside agents. Drawing on insights from managerially-oriented literature, this paper explores the role of management in situations where the market transaction costs of using outside agents are negligible at market entry, but grow over time. A key question pertaining to this situation is: what management instruments may ensure persistent concurrence between changing pressure for internalisation in a foreign market and the effectuated internalisation of an MNE in that market? Management instruments and strategies that potentially support ‘staged internalisation’ include appropriation of the local outside agent’s financial assets (including equity) as well as non-financial assets in relation to user rights, customer relations, and value added activities.

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This paper argues that knowledge mapping may provide a fruitful avenue for intellectual capital
management in academic environments such as university departments. However, while some research
has been conducted on knowledge mapping and intellectual capital management in the public sector,
the university has so far not been directly considered for this type of management. The paper initially
reviews the functions and techniques of knowledge mapping and assesses these in the light of academic
demands. Secondly, the result of a focus group study is presented, where academic leaders were asked
to reflect of the uses of knowledge mapping at their departments and institutes. Finally a number of
suggestions are made as to the rationale and conduct of knowledge mapping in academe.
Keywords: Knowledge mapping, academic, intellectual capital management, focus group, research
management

The market penetration problematic has been subject to consideration in the scientific
literature, however, hitherto not on the basis of a coherent and applied theory.
Based on selected fields of theory, e.g. ex ante it is presumed that such theories may contribute
to the development within the market penetration problematic, and this forms the purpose of
this scientific article, i.e. to critically evaluate and compare the basics of such theories, analytic
argumentation and fields of application. A meta-theoretical argumentation will apply, as
such contributions containing estimated of potential theoretical and methodological flaws –
have been surprising limited in numbers.
Selected perspectives are not only considered a product of the scientific context, i.e.
perspective, within which they were developed, but additionally in relation to the perspective
utility value as framework of analysis and terms in this context..

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This paper examines the nature of genuine uncertainty and rule-following behaviour and
suggests some implications for the theory of the firm. The firm is seen here as emerging
as a means to manage some of the experienced uncertainty. The nature of the firm is
perceived as an evolving institution creating predictability both inside the firm and in
the market. But because of the spontaneous nature of life-world, social processes remain
open-ended. This subjectivist perspective cannot assign any particular premeditated
purpose to the spontaneous order which emerges through the market process. The
process is not kaleidic but nor is it considered to be moving toward increasing efficiency
either. Rules and institutions provide predictability to the extent that novelties can be
introduced to the process. Discoveries do not, however, only introduce new outcomes in
the market process, they also change the rules of the game.

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We discuss the relations between alternative conceptualizations of the market process -
neoclassical, Austrian and radical subjectivist/evolutionary - and alternative approaches to
economic organization, for example, nexus of contract theory, Williamsonian transaction cost
economics and the dynamic transaction cost approach of Langlois and Robertson. We argue
that there is a distinct need for more firmly grounding theories of economic organization in
theories of the market process, and that key ideas of the more dynamic conceptualizations of
the market are likely to substantially enrichen the theory of economic organization.